


the brush of summer love

by eggfish



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: I'm obnoxious and only write about one thing, M/M, Yuzuru's single line of dialogue, drabble?, only side keichi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 17:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13104999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggfish/pseuds/eggfish
Summary: “A fistfight stained with the blood, sweat and tears of youth, hm…? You do come up with such wonderful, extreme notions, don’t you, Eichi.” For a moment Wataru shows such a soft smile that, even distracted as Eichi is, he becomes flustered.





	the brush of summer love

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote most of this directly after rereading the Quarrel Festival event, so I fear there may be a bit of rehashing of canon? I hope you enjoy it anyway :)  
> Also sorry about that title, wataru is shamelessly cheesy. or just generally shameless tbh.

 

“A fistfight stained with the blood, sweat and tears of youth, hm…? You do come up with such wonderful, extreme notions, don’t you, Eichi.” For a moment Wataru shows such a soft smile that, even distracted as Eichi is, he becomes flustered - then Wataru leans in across the rickety cafeteria table and asks with unrestrained curiosity, “Could it be that you _enjoy_ going through such torturous experiences in order to achieve satisfaction?” He sounds like the world's most perverted journalist, interviewing an innocent bystander.

That poor Kanzaki boy of Keito's, who has been sitting with them all along, unconsciously leans in to hear the answer too. His expression is scandalised. Eichi can't help but laugh at them.

“Not if it's self-inflicted torture, no - I’ve always said pain is another form of pleasure, though, you’re right in some respects. But what sort of conversation is this we’re having now, exactly?”

“One about the terribly risky and painful conflict you're orchestrating to prove yourself to your so-called friend, no?” Wataru languidly pulls Eichi’s right hand from its resting spot on the table, lifting it up to eye level. “Are you sure such a right-hand man really has the moral fibre to sever itself from you, anyway?”

Kanzaki twitches. “Hasumi-dono’s resolve is absolute! The sun, moon and stars would all fall from the heavens before he betrayed us!”

“Little baby, the adults are talking, so hush, hush, or I will send you to sleep with my coin once more.” Kanzaki twitches again, silenced effectively. ”Now, Eichi, hasn't that person been utterly loyal to you for years? I hate to see people disappoint Your Majesty the Emperor, you know.”

“Wataru,” Eichi says. He laces his fingers with Wataru’s own warm ones. “I’m not trying to prove myself. I’m only trying to make a reality of this wish I’ve had since childhood - one me and Keito may well share. He should have frustrations he wants to take out on me after all I’ve put him through. My weakness is what’s been standing between us, that's all.”

“I see! Well then, isn't it wonderful that we in _fine_ can be your strength…! We shall sing, dance and crush down any enemy for you with a smile, just as usual.”

Eichi smiles and squeezes Wataru’s palm against his own. “Of course. Just be prepared to lose this time.”

Wataru extracts his hand and wrings it out as if Eichi had been squeezing it terribly hard - surely not, why would he have strong muscles in his fingers of all places - then slams the table with both fists, probably taking a year off Eichi’s life with the shock.

He yells in the husky voice of a young boy: “I absolutely won’t lose! I’ll never give up, no matter what - because I’m fighting for the one I love!” He thumps a fist against his chest. ”...That's what you want, isn't it?” He grins slyly at Eichi, voice returned to its usual odd cadence. “That kind of shounen-manga passion? If you throw the match, you defeat your own point, no?”

“Wataru, one of these days you’re really going to kill me with your surprises. Please wait, since I have things left to do before I can die of happiness… Of course I won't throw the match, though. If I didn't challenge people with true killing intent I’d never expose their true - ah - wait, you know Keito isn't 'the one I love’, right? He has the looks of a plain slice of bread, you know, and the personality of one too. I’d never consider him like _that_.”

For some reason Wataru laughs raucously at this for a moment before cutting himself off. “Do forgive my manners,” he says, pressing his fingertips to his mouth like a shocked lady.

“Yeah, rude,” Eichi grumbles, sliding down in his seat.

“Shall I disbelieve your words, or shall I have you admitted to hospital on a fever, with that rosily blushing face of yours…? Ahh, this really is your springtime of youth, isn't it...”

"Whatever,” Eichi says elaborately. Wataru is wrong. Time to change the topic. “Hey, you're meant to be my left hand, aren't you? So if I asked you to fight me, and threatened your friends, and such - would _you_ do it?”

Wataru goes unnervingly silent for a moment, then chuckles quietly. “Would I…? Oh, but Eichi, we already saw how that turned out, didn't we? Surely you haven't forgotten?”

Eichi stops short, confused. “Um, I don't think Water-balloon Fes counted, you know. Or competitive training exercises, or the time we invaded the Game Research clubroom…” He pauses to think, uncomfortable now, because Wataru has a way of making him doubt himself through sheer perfection, like a classic masterpiece hanging in the studio of an amateur artist. In this case it's Wataru’s memory that's perfect, while Eichi is still drawing a blank.

In the silence, Wataru begins to hum a song - one of _fine_ ’s oldest songs, Neo Sanctuary. They don't perform it much anymore. It’s enough for him to make the connection. Ouch. The final battle of last year is a wound that still hasn't healed, maybe never will completely. It’s another mark of his sins, after all; it should remain with him until death.

Well, it's probably a painful memory for Wataru, too, who now sits across the table from him with a plateful of jelly, smiling and humming that tune like it's a well-loved nursery rhyme from his youth.

“You're bringing up a lot of unpleasant topics today, aren't you,” Eichi says carefully.

“Hmm? Oh dear, I do apologise if you don't care for my responses. This Wataru Hibiki lives only to please, after all… What shall we talk about instead?”

“No, I just - I would never forget the ending to that story, and you have the right to drag it up as much as you like. But I want to move on past it. You’re one of the people who opened this new chapter on my life, Wataru. I thought you'd understand.”

Wataru taps his chin and frowns delicately. “I would rather say that you are full of nerves for me to hit on today, rather than me being the one bringing up distasteful topics. There is not a spiteful bone in my body, you know that, only bones of _love!_ ” He throws both arms in the air with such vigour that he rocks back on his chair-legs, teetering for a moment before - staying perfectly balanced mid-fall, as steady as a rock.

“Wataru, that's incredible,” Eichi breathes, and immediately reaches out to try and push him off-balance. Wataru simply laughs at his feeble prodding.

“No matter where you push on me, I will not fall,” he proclaims smugly, so Eichi tries pulling instead, on his tie. He falls forward so fast that the clack of his chair against the tiles echoes across the empty garden terrace, and so close that his cheek brushes Eichi's cheek. “But of _course_ I shall always fall back down to earth for you,” he murmurs into Eichi’s ear, before leaning back. Eichi looks down at the hand he’d used to grab the tie, which is now holding a rose.

He tries to keep his voice mild but there's no escaping the blush now. “Jeez, Wataru, your dramatic tendencies can ramp up far too fast, you know? Look at poor Kanzaki-kun. You’ve confused our guest to death.”

Kanzaki, who, yes, had still been there all along, is looking back and forth between them with narrowed eyes. “What exactly is the nature of your relationship?” he asks suspiciously. “As aidorus, we are not permitted to participate in - _romance._ In public.”

“Who, us? No,” Eichi says.

“Love should not be restrained,” Wataru points out solemnly. “Baby-san, if you ever feel the brush of summer love against your heart, do not ignore it, for it is far more important than your reputation.”

“Do not call me Baby-san!” Kanzaki barks, brandishing his sword. “Rather than suffer any more foul besmirching of my family name, I shall take my leave at this junction!”

But at this point Tori and Yuzuru return, and it only takes a word from Eichi to have Yuzuru gently coerce Kanzaki into sipping tea with the rest of them. Or, well, not so much _sipping_ in his case as downing in one unbroken gulp, eyes tight shut, as if it were a poison he had no choice but to drink. Oh dear.

Tori’s hand is creeping toward the sugar cubes, Eichi notices. “You may have one and one only,” Yuzuru reminds, and Tori grumbles. Seeing this, Wataru shouts and ejects a cloud of confetti from his sleeve that Yuzuru can't resist running to clean up - while his back is turned, Tori sneaks another two sugars, and Wataru takes a shocking five to eat dry.

The partners in crime share a smug nod before Tori catches himself. “I owe you nothing for this, Long Hair,” he hisses, shaking his spoon at Wataru, who only sips his tea and winks back knowingly.

Eichi smiles over the rim of his own cup. “Fufu. Do you ever stop with your mischief, Wataru? That wasn't even necessary - Yuzuru has no designs on _your_ diet, I’m sure.”

“Oh, but I was helping a cute little princess in need.” At this point Yuzuru returns to the table - Wataru quickly hides his remaining sugar cubes inside his mouth, or maybe just eats them. “Or perhaps I merely enjoy playing around, like a child misbehaving under the parent’s nose,” Wataru adds through his mouthful of sugar. “My own parents are far too kind to me - I would never dare to misbehave at home.’

“Parents? It’s so hard to imagine you were born from anything except a tear in reality.”

“Well, there is nothing to disprove such an idea,” Wataru says (either being mysterious or implying some strange things about his mother).

“Well, I can understand playing tricks on your guardians, at least. I have lots of experience of that. It comes from loneliness, doesn't it? Fufufu, Wataru, do you still need more attention?” Eichi runs his free hand through Wataru’s hair, inviting him closer.

Wataru laughs. “Of course I do, of course…! But no, it’s not loneliness - couldn't be when I’m here with you, now could it...?”

“Oh,” Eichi says, and his heart is suddenly racing again.

“You said I didn't understand your new chapter, but it is the same for me too, remember,” Wataru says, and then his smile brightens to dazzling and his voice leaps up to maximum as he raises his teacup. “To _fine_!” he cries.

And even if it is a rather confused toast, they can all toast to that. All but Kanzaki, who waits until they're done to make his own toast to Akatsuki - they all politely raise their cups - all but Tori, who sticks his tongue out at Kanzaki and toasts _fine_ again, a challenge Kanzaki could never back down from… It’s going to be a long teatime. Eichi pours himself another cup of tea.

**Author's Note:**

> as ever, you can find me at @star_goldfish on twitter!


End file.
